phil_sheffield

Grapevine Video have just issued The Informer on DVD. This excellent early British sound film, released at the end of 1929, featured syncronised music and effects plus talking sequences. I think this is the first release on video with the exception of bootlegs from TCM. Not received my copy yet so can't comment on quality etc. The dvd runtime of 83m matches the original release.
details here -
The Informer (1929) Lars Hanson - Lya De Putti

JamesM

Seeing as this is a DVDr, I would be very surprised if this wasn't a bootleg. Grapevine are in it for the right reasons but I don't think this film goes out of copyright until 2054.

penfold

And it's not as good as the full silent version....

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

orpheum

i bought this from Grapevine 3 years ago so it is hardly a new release.Anyway i think the part talkie is far more interesting historically than the silent version.

penfold

As a historical artefact of that fraught period when sound was coming in, yes, it's interesting and important...but as a dramatic film, a film to grip and entertain and have you care about the characters.... the silent version wins, assuming it's shown properly with a really good musician(s).

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

phil_sheffield

I think the copyright law is much different in the USA , this explains why many titles are available in the public domain there which are still copyright here.
I was interested to learn that a fully silent version existed, I guess its highly unlikely that this will ever surface!
Grapevine do release some material that we would never get chance to see, OK its not always 'studio release' quality but the price is always more than reasonable. Was the older release Orpheum refers to on VHS? I mentioned this as it is in the March New Release e mail!!!
Phil

penfold

It ain't necessarily so....with more and nore interest in British Silent film, there's always the chance a DVD will come out at some stage. The semi-sound version has now been resored , so perhaps the silent version could be included as an extra, as in the German edition of Blackmail...we can but hope.

Bit of a Bay Window, what??

JamesM

The copyright law may be different for Amercian films in the US but it is NOt different for any British films. This has been so since the 1998 under GATT.

philips

This may be so for UK films made since GATT , but would it apply retrospectively? My understanding is that changes to US copyright law have never resulted in a work in the public domain becoming copyrighted again. It may be that The Informer was considered to be in the public domain in the US prior to the US signing the Berne convention and GATT/WTO, and the Sonny Bono extension. A similar situation exists with regards to certain German silents made before 1923, which Germany considers to be copyrighted but under US law aren't (no film created prior to 1923 is copyrighted in the US).

orpheum

Yes the copy of The Informer i purchased was VHS,so i suppose if they have just released it on DVD it is technically a "new" release.I also purchased "Atlantic" and "Moulin Rouge" from them.So more power to their elbow.

JamesM

U.S. Copyright Office - Notices of Restored Copyrights

If you look at the NIEs for 1997, you'll see Carlton's applictaions for films such as Gasbags, Bulldog Jack etc.

Mediatheque

The BFI's recently restored print of The Informer is now available to view free of charge at the Mediatheque.

orpheum

does that mean you have solved the technical problems affecting the playing of this film?

image45

the silent version for me every time please

"Seya next time!"